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Mushait Road was closed and being guarded by a worker, while cooking was underway inside (Arab News, 26 July 2016). The inspection team cordoned off the area and confiscated the meat, which turned out to be that of hyena (Arab News, 26 July 2016). Arab News (26 July 2016) continues: (Said bin Saleh, a citizen, said he had once been invited to a reception where hyena meat was served. He said he was surprised to see people relished it. Abdurrahman Al-Qahtani said he liked hyena meat, which tastes different from any other meat. He said it has a unique taste and that “its effect is stronger than that of any famous stimulant.” Veterinary doctor Khalid Al-Qahtani said the meat of this animal is in high demand. It costs more than that of Gazelle. One kilogram of hyena meat costs SR200 or more, depending on the age of the animal, he said. No health benefits or harmful effects of this meat have been scientifically proved. A report in ‘International Business Times (ibtimes)’ said hyenas are being threatened with extinction because people across the Kingdom have developed a taste for the wild animal’s meat. In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the striped hyena as “near threatened” as its population was estimated to be below 10,000. Eating hyena meat was also permitted by Al-Shabaab militants in southern Somalia. In August 2015, a resident of Kismayo told ‘Hiiraan Online’ that since it was approved, restaurants have begun selling it and the price has raised so much so that it is now only affordable to wealthy people (Arab News, 26 July 2016). Hyena meat is also eaten in areas of Pakistan and Iran, where it is considered halal) (Arab News, 26 July 2016).
Hunting an Arabian Striped Hyaena in Saudi Arabia. https://www.eremnews.com/latestnews/403449 Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 185 – May 2020